Harris Making Most Of His Shots

Coming into last summer, not many had Ivan Harris ranked high in the 2003 class. But many caught on that Harris is a terrific offensive player. The staff at Ohio State certainly knew and thought very high of Harris. Their efforts were rewarded with a pre-summer commitment. Harris didn't disappoint them with his summer play.

While the Ohio State coaches looked on at the ABCD camp in early July, Harris was one of the top five players at the event. Buckeye eyes are smiling. Harris, a scoring wing player from Springfield South High School in Ohio, is a lefty with skills that allow him to play two different positions along the frontline.

Harris possesses a sweet touch from the outside but he is much more than that offensively. He scores his points in the flow of the game. Harris rarely forces the issue offensively and also battles hard inside for rebounds.

Harris, who averaged 20 points and nine rebounds last year, is currently playing for head coach Steve Smith at the highly regarded Oak Hill Academy. "Ivan plays the trail spot for us in the break," Smith said. "He plays the trail spot because he shoots the ball so well. He doesn't get as many touches as some of our other players. We play a three-guard offense so it's just a normal part of our offense. But he makes the most out of his touches."

Harris is shooting 65 percent from the floor, an incredible number when you realize that Ivan does score many of his points from the perimeter. "He's a great shooter," Smith said. "He doesn't get many shots as the others because the way we play. But he has enough to average about 12 points a game. He is a great offensive player."

Smith believes Harris will be a very good college basketball player. "Ivan is going to be a great player at Ohio State," Smith said. "He has so many ways he can score. And shooting 65 percent is pretty good."